|
Forums >
General Industry >
Should a Black photographer disclose that fact?
So Says Amara. wrote: Indeed! If they are concerned about race, they are not worth your time. It is not in any way important. I am very sorry. To answer you querstion...No! You should not, because it is not important. Not wether you are black, purple, orange. Whatever. All that matters are your skills as a photographer. Aug 10 06 03:09 pm Link PPRO Analyst wrote: Maybe use it for the next model? Aug 10 06 03:11 pm Link Why does it matter? I go to a photographer for his/her talent, not their ethnicity. In fact, I am always happily surprised when I discover my photographer has an ethnic background, whether it be Nigerian, African American or Iranian, Jewish or Eastern European. I think that black photographers in particular make me happy cause they know how to photograph my ass. And, they are usually better at being verbally encouraging without being sleazy. My experiences with photographers who are black in particular have all left me feeling really good about myself (not to mention they have delivered amazing photos at a higher ration than others). Why ruin the surprise. Unless the photographer feels that it is part of their goal or desire to discose thier ethnicity due to their personal belief system, it does not make a damn bit of difference to me. And if I do find out they are black, I am actually more likely to shoot with them. Aug 10 06 03:12 pm Link PPRO Analyst wrote: You'd probably get more of a response if you started a new thread for this. Aug 10 06 03:14 pm Link e-string wrote: You must not visit the "Off Topic" section of this forum very often. Aug 10 06 03:15 pm Link PPRO Analyst wrote: Hell No ! Why should you (or I) have to say up front, that we are African American, or whatever term to say we are of African descent ? Aug 10 06 03:15 pm Link Ive never heard of anything so ridiculous!!!! What on earth has that got anything to do with anything???? Im just gobsmacked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aug 10 06 03:24 pm Link Lapis wrote: the line is going to get long ! Aug 10 06 03:25 pm Link I am a Divahead: My photographer must look like Richard Gere. No short fat, bald, photographers, allowed. No gay, black, asian, mexican, lesbian photographers allowed. Aug 10 06 03:28 pm Link Marshall Arts wrote: I know it won't really go away, but I'm pretty surprised that people are that OPEN about it in places other than certain parts of the south. Sad. Aug 10 06 03:37 pm Link UnoMundo Photography wrote: Well, between Chip Willis, Melvin Moten, Jay Bowman, T.H. Taylor and in my dreams of shooting with Bruce Talbot as well as other photographers I have shot with in the past, I have a pretty long list myself. (sorry if I excluded anyone, and Unomundo, I don' t really know exactly what YOUR ethnicity is, but you are in the front of my line regardless.) Aug 10 06 03:40 pm Link I vote for the Humane Society.  Aug 10 06 03:41 pm Link Tony Culture Photoz wrote: bumbo claarth ! Aug 10 06 03:42 pm Link I personally am embarrassed that I am part German. And that one of my uncles belonged to the nazi party, but I don't think it is necessary to advertise it. Aug 10 06 03:45 pm Link you know what I just thought about? What if she changed her mind and decided to just blurt out something she knew would make you never contact her again. Since it was 200 dollars and she obviously wasnt an agency model(if she was she is screwed) I am asuming it was lingerie or nude (just assuming) and maybe she changed her mind and would rather use the "the photographer lied to me about his race (i know you didnt)" or whatev excuse rather than get the rep of a flake... although racist isnt better... just a thought, and I think you should donate it to anything that has to do with bettering the enviroment. Aug 10 06 03:52 pm Link i see no reason why you should hide the fact. the model will know your black when they meet you. if they are offended by such things they deserve to have their time waisted for being ignorant. this is the 21st century for goodness sake. Aug 10 06 03:57 pm Link After looking at your beautiful work, I would say that you don't have any trouble getting great models. Shrug in off, her lost. She isn't going to last very long with that attitude. On a similar note, most of my models think I'm black, guess what - I'm white. I shoot mostly black men. I am also gay. I shoot a lot of striaght guys nude. They have no problem that I have ever been aware of. I don't tell anyone up front. That's silly. Sometimes I meet a model if there is time. I do talk to everyone on the phone and go over the shoot. Move on and fell bad that she is so shallow. You are better off. Trevor Aug 10 06 04:07 pm Link I dont see why its such a big deal as long as their work is good. However I did have a situation where someone pretended to be female and when I got to the shoot I was VERY surprised to see a VERY large man instead of the female I had been speaking to........... Aug 10 06 04:09 pm Link I am contacting the OP right now to see if he will work with me........ Aug 10 06 04:11 pm Link She/he's a model (or thinks they are). Your a photographer. Photographers create images with models. What more needs to be known? Anyone that decides to work with you should be doing so based on your body of work, not the color of your body. If race becomes an issue, the other person wasn't a professional to begin with. And there are plenty of wannabes out there. Their stupidity, bigotry or lack of respect shouldn't cause you to waste one minute thinking about if you should expose you are black. The only exposing you need to mention is film or chip. What's next? Wannabe: "Excuse me, photographer. But like, are their MSG's in the chips you have in your pantry? Cuz, like, I'm just not comfortable shooting near anything that is impure or may cause my chi to somehow, like, become off balance..." Rock on and push this sad person curbside in your mind. Aug 10 06 04:20 pm Link Claire Elizabeth wrote: but the red ensemble did look good on him.. Aug 10 06 04:23 pm Link Did she notice that the camera's black?!?! Hmmm? Come to think of it... They almost all are !!! Hmmmmm!? Make's you think!? LOL Aug 10 06 04:24 pm Link hasan wrote: Nooooo! he is a Bryant Gumbel look alike ! Aug 10 06 04:24 pm Link Everybody seems quick to say she is wrong and a racist. Does everybody know her past and why she made the comment? Does everybody know the context of how it was said to him? Not everybody has a good life, she may have had something happen to her at some point in her life that she is not comfortable with. Maybe it was a black man, or maybe it was a bad experience in a bad part of town and it scared her. It could be the content of the shoot mixed with the neighborhood and the fact that he is black, mixed with feeling uncomfortble is the reason also. One thing a model should always do is if she/he feels uncomfortable, DO NOT do the shoot.... it is preached on this site day after day, and now your all bad mouthing this model for following thru with it. EDIT: The above is not directed at you PPRO. What the model said was wrong but maybe the situation to her was really scary? Did you ask her for a reason as to why it was a problem? You being black should not be an issue, but some models you may hire/TFP with may have an issue with it, that is not something you can change. Aug 10 06 04:27 pm Link Peter Dattolo wrote: So do you also think that everyone with a long nose should clearly state that in his profile, so that if a model is uncomfortable with long nosed people, or is prejudiced against long nosed people she can avoid him too. Aug 10 06 04:49 pm Link Wow. I cannot believe that happened to you. I am so sorry to hear that. To answer your question, no, you do not need to disclose this information, and shouldn't. Why should you?! There's no need, it has nothing to do with your skill. I say chalk it up to bigotry, lose the model's number, and move on. There's really nothing else you can do. That is so horrendous, again I am sorry you had to encounter that. Aug 10 06 04:52 pm Link Peter Dattolo wrote: Well said. Every model deserves the opportunity of a graceful exit, especially if it is TFCD and/or the first time working with a photographer. Aug 10 06 04:56 pm Link Race should make no difference in photography. You shouldn't have to tell anyone your race. I shoot with a friend, who is black, every chance that I can get. I sent him a model recently, who is white. I didn't tell her his race, that would be offensive to me. They got along great! He called me to thank me for the wonderful model I sent him. I shot her a week later and really enjoyed myself. So, don't tell people your race, its immaterial. For those like the model that walked out, Forget them! Aug 10 06 05:04 pm Link rp_photo wrote: I'd much rather a model be honest [and in this case reveal what a tiny minded bigot she is] than make up some stupid excuse. Unless one is a total idiot, it would have been obvious that the model had an issue about race, after setting up the shoot, discussing it at length and driving all the way to the location. There's nothing "diplomatic" about lying...it's just lying. Aug 10 06 05:09 pm Link rp_photo wrote: That is a reasonable response but in her case alot depends on her modeling experience (good or bad), how many shoots she has been on. She may have had a bad experience with another black gentleman and it did not go well. Aug 10 06 05:17 pm Link If the model has such a hang up about race, then (despite the fact that she doesn't need to be modeling) she needs to ask that question beforehand. It's not the photographer's responsibility to disclose their race to someone. Hey, it's a free country and she has the right to be narrow-minded and ignorant if she wants. Myself, I've had black models react negatively to me once they found out I was white. For some reason many models think I'm a black photographer...? Oh well, it goes both ways I suppose. People will be people. Just a bump in the road my friend. We all have them in one form or another. Ryan Aug 10 06 05:19 pm Link e-string wrote: believe it. two weeks ago i heard a flamboyant white man call a black man he did not know a "NIGGER" on the F train in the most diverse city in this country New York. all because the black passenger was being annoying. and do you know how people responded "oh! you handled him well" Aug 10 06 05:19 pm Link wow, that is crazy. I can't believe that happened. People are stupid, stupid, stupid. Her lost. I AM BLACK,IF YOU CARE TO KNOW. I don't think you have to tell anyone what you are, if she liked you work enough to come to the shoot, she should have stayed and experience your creativity. Aug 10 06 05:21 pm Link and no u shouldnt have to disclose your ethnicity...it has nothing to do with how talented you are. she was intimidated by the fact that you are who you are and that should not make you change yourself or way of doing things. she's missing out on some good shots for her portfolio Aug 10 06 05:26 pm Link What a horrible experience! I'm sorry you had to face that. I despise bigots and racist! I experienced something kind of similar where me, my brother and our good o'friend from Guatemala was working at an Event which we do here in LA providing bars for all those High Profile parties. Well, one of the Hosts asked my brother to not allow our friend to be a bartender (Which is what he is) and instead have him buss tables. It was terrible having to tell Marlon that. No one has ever done that to us and him before. But you know, business is business in our case and we made a lot of cash... In your case, no. Since when do we have to tell other's of your race, creed, religion and sexual preference to work with each other? What a creep and sad person that model is. Peace, David Aug 10 06 05:27 pm Link I have to be blunt with language that suits the situation: F * * K the As*Hole And move on!! I am African Amercian and have considered the question, but have decided--MOVE ON!! I photograph all ethnicities, "colors", races, sexual persuasions, genders, etc., and if they can't hang with my pigmentation----Fuckem!!! There is ABSOLUTELY NO place for RACISM! Granted she may have issues, on a personal basis, with increased melatonin, but SO WHAT! She doesn't want to photograph with you because of that--respect her wishes and MOVE ON! She should have said upfront--"no nig*er photographers! I AM PISSED OFF!! Aug 10 06 05:27 pm Link Peter Dattolo wrote: Well isn't she? She called the shoot off because the photographer was black. Do the math. Peter Dattolo wrote: What does her past have to do with the photographer? If she has so many issues, she probably shouldn't be a model in the first place. Peter Dattolo wrote: She blew off the shoot after finding out the photographer was black [which isn't a crime in the US -- yet]. How much "context" do you need? Peter Dattolo wrote: Once again, what does any of this have to do with the OP? I'm pretty sure he has an airtight alibi for anything in this idiot's past. The idea that one black person is exactly the same another is where all these problems start. What do you think racism is? Peter Dattolo wrote: Unless you think the OP is a total liar, this shoot was discussed at length, as were personal details about the photographer that the model was originally comfortable with. If she weren't, why did she even show up? Peter Dattolo wrote: The day we allow bigots to justify their cultural/intellectual shortcomings, to feel okay about being prejudiced idiots is the day the promise and intent of the United States is violated for good. The very idea that I need to "try to understand" bigotry is an insult bordering on the comical. I refuse to waste my time trying to "understand" the hatred and prejudice of anyone. Peter Dattolo wrote: Does this mean i need to start asking models "hey, you're not a bigot or a nazi or anything are you? Or "did I mention my skin condition?" Aug 10 06 05:28 pm Link KARLOS MATTHEWS wrote: Witch Hunt! I agree! Aug 10 06 05:31 pm Link Melvin Moten Jr wrote: Peter Dattolo wrote: Well isn't she? She called the shoot off because the photographer was black. Do the math. Peter Dattolo wrote: What does her past have to do with the photographer? If she has so many issues, she probably shouldn't be a model in the first place. Peter Dattolo wrote: She blew off the shoot after finding out the photographer was black [which isn't a crime in the US -- yet]. How much "context" do you need? Peter Dattolo wrote: Once again, what does any of this have to do with the OP? I'm pretty sure he has an airtight alibi for anything in this idiot's past. The idea that one black person is exactly the same another is where all these problems start. What do you think racism is? Peter Dattolo wrote: Unless you think the OP is a total liar, this shoot was discussed at length, as were personal details about the photographer that the model was originally comfortable with. If she weren't, why did she even show up? I am not going to get into a argument on racism and what i said or she/he said over this. I have some good friends who are black and none of them would have let her walk out saying that to them, without getting in thier face and asking for a reason as to why. After that it is easy to remark something in defense like she was a racist, or narrowminded (depending on the situation) before kicking her out. Aug 10 06 05:52 pm Link Ceehawk Multimedia wrote: She pulled a Mel? Aug 10 06 06:12 pm Link |
